The Greene County Development Corporation Board met yesterday in regular session.

The Board approved its 2014-15 fiscal year budget with no major changes made and they also approved a funding request of $2,307 for a conditional one-year agreement for services by the Small Business Development Center in Webster County.

Rick Morain gave an update about the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s site visit to Jefferson on May 29th.  While full details are still being considered, Morain told the Board that the Commission will arrive in Jefferson by 10am and will be taken on a 30-minute tour of the City and then they will have the public forum at the Sierra Community Theatre around 12:30pm.

Board President Norm Fandel said that the Greene County Early Learning Center is looking to expand and requested for help to find open areas.  He pointed out that there was 105 kids currently enrolled in the program with another 26 on the waiting list, which economic development director Ken Paxton said was a serious issue to resolve if they want people to re-locate to the county.

Paxton also gave a Home Base Iowa update.  He reported that the County and County Engineer Wade Weiss were going to work together to establish Home Base Iowa signs at the entrances to each city in the county.  There will also be a meeting with all the human resource directors for every Home Base Iowa business in the county later this month so that everyone is working on the same goals to the HBI program.

Chamber Director Chris Henning then gave a report.  She said that they are planning on having the outside of the welcome center completed by the Bell Tower Festival on June 13th.  She announced that August 14th will be Hot August Night and that there are floor plans for the interior of the welcome center available at the Chamber.